Furnace for calcining quicksilver ores.



No. 740,539. PATENTED OCT. 6, 1903.

J- M. CUTLER.

FURNACE FOR UALGINING QUIOKSILVER ORES.

- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1903,

110 menu. 2 sums-sum 1 Hdiigzssgs v l aa iw.

7 NORM! PETERS c0, PHUTOUYND. wasmucrcu u r No. 740,539. I.

UNITED g STATES I Patented October 6, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

' JOHN MILLER CUTLER, OE UKIAH, CALIFORNIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,539, dated October 6, 1903.

Application filed June 10,1903.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN MILLER CUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ukiah, in the county of Mendocinoand State of California, have invented a new and useful Furnace for Calcining Quicksilver Ores, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to furnaces for calcining ores, and more particularly to furnaces for calcining quicksilver.

Among the objects of the invention are to improve the means employed for conveying the ore through the furnace during the process of calcination, to provide means for discharging the fumes of the furnace at the end of the furnace adjacent to the fire-box, and to adapt the furnace for continuous operation.

A further object of the invention is to pro-- vide a furnace for the calcinat-ion of quicksilver ores in which petroleum' may be used as a fuel.

A further object of the invention is to provide in connection with the furnace means for saving the native quicksilver, which is lost by the ordinary method.

With the objects above stated" and others in view, which will appear as the invention is more fully disclosed, the same consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, form- 1 ing a part of this specification, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, proportions, and exact mode of assemblage of the elements therein exhibited without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the furnace constructed in accordance Fig. 2 is a vertical 1on fierial-No. 160.918. (No model.)

sections, as shown,and rotatably mounted upon bearing-rolls 2 2, provided at the top of supporting-frames 3 3.

4 designates a cylindrical comb ustion-chamber of smaller diameter than the outer cylinder 1 and mounted concentrically within the outer chamber 1 by means of radially-disposed strut-s 5. The outer chamber 1 is provided throughout its entire length with a plurality of. flanges 6, in this instance six, arranged spirally on the inner surface of the said cylinder.

j The cylindrical combustion-chamber 1, which extends through the outer cylinder or calcining-chamber 1, is provided on its outer surface with a plurality of flanges 7, which extend longitudinally of the cylinder, as shown, and are continuous throughout its entire length. The flanges 6 on cylinder 1 are preferably of a width equal to one-eighth of the diameter of the outside cylinder, and the flanges 7 on the combustion -'chamber are preferably in width equalto one-twelfth of that cylinder. Both sets of flanges are preferably. secured in position by rivets extending through the walls of the cylinders, as

shown.

At one end of the furnace is provided an ore-bin 8, supported on suitable standards 9 and having a sloping bottom 10, at the lower edge of which is provided an inlet into the outer cylinder of the furnace. There is also provided in the bottom of the ore-bin a sys- 7 free metallic quicksilver which may be present and intermingled with the ores.

- At' the end of thefurna'ce where the orebin is located is provided a smoke-stack 15, which is connected with the end of the combustion-chambe r 4, which projects beyond the end of outer cylinder 1. The smoke-stack 15 extends upward through the ore-bin,as shown, and within the smoke-stack is mounted a hotair pipe 16, which bends near the bottom of the smoke-stack and enters outer cylinder 1. In order to prevent the escape of heat from the outer cylinder 1 containing the ore, the

' ends thereof are mounted in stationary casings 17 and 18, the end adjacent to the smokestack being covered by a casing 17, into which the outside cylinder fits quite snugly. The inner cylinder or combustion-chamber extends entirely through the casing and projects into the smoke-stack. At the opposite end of the furnace the outer cylinder is covercd by a casing 18, which projects into the combustion -chamber, and communicating with the interior of the combustion-chamber at this end is a pipe 19, leading from the firebox 20. At this end of the furnace also there extends outward therefrom a condenser-pipe 21, which affords means of escape to the fumes and gases evolved from the ores during the calcining process. The casing 17, being adjacent to the ore-bin 15, of course contains a passage for the admission of ore into the furnace, and the casing 18, being located at the opposite end, is provided with a downward opening for the passage of the ore after the completion of the calcining process.

When the furnace is in use, the ore is fed into it from the ore bin adjacent to the smoke-stack, and motion is imparted to the outer cylinder, which also carries the inner cylinder, by means of the gear-wheels 22 and 23, associated with one of the bearing-rolls 2. The rotation of the furnace-chamber causes the flanges upon the inner surface of the calcining-chamber to act as screw conveyors to cause the ore in the furnace to travel along the bottom thereof until it reaches the opposite end and is there discharged.

The supply of ore to the interior of the furnace-chamber is introduced from the bin 8, and the noxious fumes and gases escape at the opposite end of the furnace, as above explained. This is of course due to the fact that the heat in 'the fire-box end of the furnace causes such high temperature in the outer cylinder surrounding the combustion chamber at the end adjacent to the fire-box that a current outward is set up through the condenser-pipe and warm air enters through the hot-air pipe and keeps up a steady circulation through the furnace when the said pipes are not closed by valves. (Not shown.)

The drain-pipe 12 and collector-pipes associated therewith collect and preserve the free quicksilver present in the ores, which would otherwise be lost.

It will be observed that by providing means for imparting continuous rotation to the outer cylinder 1 and feeding the ore constantly downward through the opening in the bottom of bin 8 the calcination process may be made continuous and the calcined ore discharged adjacent to the fire-box as long as the supply of ore from the ore-bin and the rotation of the cylinder are maintained.

In using the furnace above described for calcining quicksilver ores it is intended that petroleum shall be used as a fuel, and the firebox will be accordingly constructed; but as the nature of the burner for consuming the petroleum does not enter into this invention no specific form thereof has been described.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention ,whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a furnace for calcining ores, an outer hollow cylinder having on its inner surfacea plurality of spirally-arranged flanges extending throughout the length of said cylinder, an inner hollow cylinder supported concentrically within said outercylinder, a plurality of longitudinally-extending flanges on the outer surface of said inner cylinder, and means for imparting rotation to said outer cylinder.

2. The combination in an ore-calcining furnace, of a rotatable hollow cylinder, an inner hollow cylinder concentrically arranged within the first-mentioned hollow cylinder, an orebin at one end of the furnace opening into the outer cylinder, at fire-box at the opposite end of the furnace communicating with the inner cylinder,a smoke-stack connecting with the inner hollow cylinder and extending up- .Ward through said ore-bin, a hot-air pipe within said smoke-stack communicating with the interior of-said outer cylinder, and a fumeescape pipe at the opposite end of the furnace communicating with the interior of said outer cylinder.

3. The combination with a furnace for calcining quicksilver ores, of an ore-bin having at the bottom thereof a collector for retaining the free metallic quicksilver.

4. The combination with a furnace for calcining quicksilver ores, of an ore-bin having a sloping bottom, an outlet at the lowest portion of said sloping bottom, grooves in said bottom converging toward a center, and a pipe for the escape of metallic mercury at the point toward which said grooves converge.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MILLER CUTLER.

Witnesses:

F. M. WEGER, J. R. THOMAS. 

